PAD Lay Siege On Government House, NBT TV Station

[hammered]

Its now or never for the police, or at least now or until some time next week. Push em out while numbers are low and minimise those hurt or face numbers far too large to touch after work and over the weekend.

It will be interesting to see if the police are actually really going for it as there is some risk of creating conditions for a big rally tonight if things are mishandled. Plus the ludicrous treason charges if formally brought could trigger something

[lopburi3]

Actually there are also reports that Police were sent in to retrieve the weapons stored there that the Police group of 300 had not removed when they departed this morning so it may have been less an attack than a removal operation.

[bazmlb]

Police battle protesters to put up court injunction inside Government House compound

Police battled protesters to wade through them back into the Government House compound to put up the Civil Court's junction telling the protesters to leave.

Source "The Nation"

[animatic]

The route cause of this is corruption by ALL involved. This is the culmination of all the problems that 97 caused. Cross shareholdings, dodgy lending, onshore holdings, offshore holdings, secured loans unpaid, dodgy handshakes and promises made by ALL sides over the years are being repaid now. It would appear that this whole charade may the battle between two business cultures and the personalities involved.

So lets all go back to unelected parliaments on the whim of one hurt man with a TV station? I sincerely hope not.

Agreed. I nspite of good advice about how to set up the system after '97,

they ignored most of it, or at least as much as they could,

and kept to the old ways as much as they could.

The devil you know vs the white devils ways.

Granted this also sounds a lot like MOST business communities.

Just type NYC before this:

Cross shareholdings, dodgy lending, onshore holdings, offshore holdings,

secured loans unpaid, dodgy handshakes and promises made by ALL sides over the years.

Enron, Worldcom, mortgage banks etc.

But there is a unique Thai old world flavor to it here,

like China before communism erased this feudal culture.

Still this is as much about Thaksin taking a western tack to rebuilding from '97

and stepping on old eastern toes in a western way in the process. N'est pas?

Edited August 29, 2008 by animatic

[TexasRanger]

BBC news is reporting scuffles between the police and protesters.

[bazmlb]

Urgent: Police fire teargas to disperse protesters at Makkhawan Bridge

At 10:50 am, police fired teargas at protesters blocking the Gate 7 of the Government House on the side of Padung Krung Kasem Canal.

Source "The Nation"

[lopburi3]

There is live coverage on TV stations at this time.

[Tony121]

looks like it may kick off soon

[JoeInSurin]

All I can say again is...Power to the People.

This has been a peaceful demonstration, with ordinary Thai people exercising their democratic right to demonstrate. Now the Unions are joining in, which is great, because, again, it shows that it is a movement of the people.

I can't believe all the violent right wind rhetoric coming from some of you guys...these demonstrators are peaceful, mostly ordinary citizens of this country, who love their monarch and country. How can you suggest violence against these good people???

As a member of Local 31 Teamsters, Canada, I ask for any Union brothers around the World, who hear about this, to help their brothers over here in Thailand, who are demostrating at the Thai Government house right now.

Here is a link for 24 hour coverage of the peaceful civil disobedience:

http://wwitv.com/portal.htm?http://wwitv.c...nnels/b2973.htm

ASTV is providing 24 hour coverage on location.

Do you really think this or are you just being sarcastic. The peaceful people you are talking about just ran the police out of the Government building with clubs and golf clubs. The peaceful people also took over NBT with semi-automatic hand guns and golf clubs. Does exercising your right to demonstrate give you the right to break down the gates to the Government building, block the government from working and put razor wire around the perimeter?

[sriracha john]

I don't believe the self-exiled Thaksin is pulling any strings. Were do you suggest I get my checkup?

Last week newspapers - when EVERY faction leader claimed to recieve a personal phone call from Thaksin. The general content of all those calls was printed everywhere.

and in today's papers...

Aswin to lose job

Metropolitan Police Chief Aswin Kwanmuang will be moved to a new post in the reshuffle approved yesterday in which many officers with close links to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra were promoted.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/290808_News/29Aug2008_news99.php

[h90]

from TOC

BREAKING NEWS: Thousands of Police Are Raiding Makawan Rally Site

UPDATE : 29 August 2008

It's been reported that the police have begun a raid at the Makawan rally site. Panic reigned while police used their batons to drive out the protesters.

Since last night the PAD protesters were encouraged to pack up their belongings from the Makawan rally site and relocate to inside the Government House. However a number of protesters remained at the Makawan area.

[kurtgruen]

Urgent: Police fire teargas to disperse protesters at Makkhawan Bridge

At 10:50 am, police fired teargas at protesters blocking the Gate 7 of the Government House on the side of Padung Krung Kasem Canal.

Source "The Nation"

I am watching live coverage from the inside and everything seems to be normal so far.

http://wwitv.com/portal.htm?http://wwitv.c...nnels/b2973.htm

[hammered]

Urgent: Police fire teargas to disperse protesters at Makkhawan Bridge

At 10:50 am, police fired teargas at protesters blocking the Gate 7 of the Government House on the side of Padung Krung Kasem Canal.

Source "The Nation"

I am watching live coverage from the inside and everything seems to be normal so far.

http://wwitv.com/portal.htm?http://wwitv.c...nnels/b2973.htm

There are different rally sites. It seems one is being cleared but not government house

[kurtgruen]

I think that if they can hold the police off until 6pm, they will bring down the government for sure, because more people will come this weekend to support them. Unions are joining the struggle and this country should come to a halt anytime now, unless the government steps down.

Once the government steps down, hopefully, the courts will be able to do their job, without interference from Samak and his croneys.

[Thai at Heart]

So lets all go back to unelected parliaments on the whim of one hurt man with a TV station?

Staying with the present corrupt bunch is not an option either.

Not a single decent person entered Thai politics in a decade.

The current system is hopeless.

There are a myriad of things that need to/can be done to clean up the system, but appointed parliaments are not the right way to go. This simply leads to a different group of people getting paid. One only has to read the various snippets we see in the daily news to see that the whole system from getting a driving license for 200 baht, to massive corruption that the system is rotten to the core. Who we see today at the top are simply the people who played the game the best. This is not about one man or his cronies.

I think you could maybe say, no decent person has entered and "risen to the top" in Thai politics ever. They have to take care of/pay off/promise to so many people on the way (not just the vote itself). The reason for any individual entering politics in Thailand is all wrong because 99% of the politicians enter it to protect their own share of the pie. The connections between business and politics in Thailand run so deep, they have become the actual structure that Thai politics stands on today. Decisions about the future are not taken on the basis of benefit or detriment for the country, but about how it effects my business and my personal future financially. I don't listen when anyone states "selling the country" as a reason for nationalism, I simply google and find out which type of company the MP's daddy owns to see his motivation.

Vote buying/corruption/tea money must be sanctioned with the absolutely gravest form of financial and custodial punishment. But then that should go for thousands of offences also. Thousands of pieces of legislation need to be rewritten to get away from 10,000 baht fines and a transfer to an inactive post while waiting for 20 years for the judgement for what is classed as grave misconduct/fraud. Everybody knows that kickbacks are absolutely everywhere, every day, in every minute of business and society in Thailand.

I dearly love this country, my wife is Thai and my kids will be brought up here. I will try my best to educate them about the good things of Thai and my culture, but the day my children ask me, Daddy, why do I have to pay him to get this done, I will sit them down and try my best to explain why corruption can ruin a country. At the same time I will also try to explain to them why democracy is so important, and if democracy is removed from Thailand hope that they can stand up against anyone proclaiming that 70% appointed parliaments is in any way in the benefit of the country.

[Kerryd]

The Taliban reduced the opium trade dramatically.

Hmmm...I get your point and its a valid one, but implying that the Taliban were a good govournment because they reduced the opium trade is stretching it to the outer limits of credibility......and beyond.

Quite a bit. The reality of that particular situation is that, while the Taliban were in power, the reported amount of poppy (opium) production was reduced.

However, recall that when the US was preparing to invade, the same Taliban threatened to open the warehouses and flood the world markets with opium, which just showed that they (the Taliban) were actually controlling the production and distribution of it.

I doubt that whoever ends up in power in Thailand will go to the extremes that the Taliban did, in any way.

As we have recently experienced, even the military led government was considerably more benign than it has been noted for in the past. It apears that all sides have their own agendas, some of which are blatantly more obvious than others. Thinly veiled smoke screens cover the truth, which seems to have a common factor.

Each side wants the power, and when they have it will most likely use it to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

No matter who eventually wins, the people of Thailand will lose.

[sriracha john]

PBS was showing footage of bloodied grandmothers...

[hammered]

Teargas was fired and scuffles broke out between the police and sentries posted by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which occupied the seat of government on Tuesday, a Reuters reporter at the scene said.

From Reuters report the delivering of a court order:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSBKK12612220080829

[h90]

from the nation:

Police seen on TV beating, stepping on protesters inside Government House compound

Police were seen on TVs pushing, hitting and stepping on protesters near a red building inside Government House compound Friday morning.

The protesters were forced to sit down and cover their faces apparently to protect themselves from gas.

Some protesters were also seen being pulled out of the group and were forced to lie face down on the floor.

The Nation

[britmaveric]

Good news - about time they started getting rid of these muppets!!!

[hammered]

Appeal Court accepts appeal from protesters

The Appeal Court accepted on Friday to consider an appeal by People's Alliance for Democracy on a court's order for the PAD-led protesters to get out of the Government House.

Representing the PAD, Lawyer Nititorn Ngamluea said that the plantiff; the government, has 15 days to submit complaint to counter the defendant's appeal request.

During the period or before the court's ruling on the appeal, the protesters have rights to continue their protest in the Government House compound.

Edited to add from the Nation

Edited August 29, 2008 by hammered

[kurtgruen]

No matter who eventually wins, the people of Thailand will lose.

I disagree. Thailand has come a long way. There are now some unions, protecting the workers...A television station that constantly airs public service announcements against Child labour, abuse against family members, and anouncements on Aids awareness...we need to build on this. Thaksin and Samak tried to weaken and destroy the Unions.

The PAD is not trying to assume power, they are attempting to remove a corrupt government, so hopefully a better one will follow.

[Spee]

Thai Rak Thai and PPP were/are both incredibly popular with rural people.

This has less to do with bribes and more to do with providing a popular platform of policies that helped the countryside.

Small sample size, but my girl says TRT and Taksin were popular in the village because they made some infrastructure improvements and also put cash money directly into peoples' pockets. A few thousand baht in the pocket of someone who maybe only makes 40k-60k in a year means something.

But let's be practical. Vote buying is nothing new under the sun. At least people have the opportunity to vote. And while we're on that subject, protesting is a-okay but anarchy is wrong (as was the coup). Thailand is a fledgling democratic monarchy. It has to be allowed to grow, but within the established laws. If people don't like the elected government, then they have to suck it up for a time and then have the conviction to vote people out of office. Democracies aren't perfect but they are the best thing going, and the Thai people need to allow the democracy to stabilize and prosper.

[britmaveric]

PAD are corrupt and trying to stop the will of the people. Time to remove the PAD.

[hammered]

PAD are corrupt and trying to stop the will of the people. Time to remove the PAD.

Now the appeal court have accepted the PAD appeal against being moved from governmnet house the PAD have at least 15 more days to demonstrate there if the report is correct.

[sriracha john]

Whatever plan they had the police seem to have backed off and retreated.

There was extremely poetic footage of a PAD follower walking out to line of police outside the gate with their shields forming a solid wall.....

he gives the line a deep wai...

and then delivers them bottled water....

which they accepted with a nod.

[bazmlb]

PAD are corrupt and trying to stop the will of the people. Time to remove the PAD.

Now the appeal court have accepted the PAD appeal against being moved from governmnet house the PAD have at least 15 more days to demonstrate there if the report is correct.

Does this mean the Police are now unlawfully removing them?

[sriracha john]

Good news - about time they started getting rid of these muppets!!!

napalm would be quicker, eh?

[kurtgruen]

Looks like the only thing Samak and his police are good at is beating up grandmothers. See the bloodied grandmother on TV?

Anyways, The site is still save and the people are still winning so far. Power to the People

[hammered]

PAD are corrupt and trying to stop the will of the people. Time to remove the PAD.

Now the appeal court have accepted the PAD appeal against being moved from governmnet house the PAD have at least 15 more days to demonstrate there if the report is correct.

Does this mean the Police are now unlawfully removing them?

It will certainly result in a court case against police leaders and whoever ordered the operation if it doesnt stop. The story will continue